a program of MarineParents.com

CPP: The Care Package Project Comes to a Close

Saturday, July 18, 2015 saw the end of an era as approximately 30 volunteers from Illinois, Missouri, and Wisconsin joined us at our corporate office in Columbia, MO, to be a part of the Care Package Project's final pack day. The theme for this final pack day was "Help Our Troops Beat the Heat This Summer," and each care package contained high-electrolyte drink tablets and Frogg Togg cooling towels in addition to snacks, toiletries, and letters of support from individuals across America.

As usual, a great time was had by all who attended pack day and the time flew by. As the day drew to an end, a sense of nostalgia hung in the air as the volunteers began to leave. Some chose to stick around after pack day to enjoy a pizza lunch, reminisce about the pack days they've attended over the years, and bid farewell to the friends they've made in that time. It wasn't all sad, however, as everyone seemed excited about the organization returning to its roots.

We'd like to thank everyone who has made our pack days so special over the last 10 years. With your steadfast dedication to our troops, we've sent more than 40,000 care packages over the last decade. This level of support is truly amazing.

As the focus and needs in the War on Terror have shifted and as the number of deployed American troops has decreased and more of our combat veterans have returned home, there has been a corresponding shift in the types of care packages that our service members and veterans find helpful and necessary. Therefore, we urge you to transfer your Care Package Project support and donations to our WST outreach program. Through the WST, the same service members and veterans who have benefited from your past contributions to the Care Package Project may now need a different type of support. With your help, these service members will continue to receive that support as they meet the challenges of their recovery and reintegration processes head-on.

The Warrior Support Team, like the Care Package Project before it, directly benefits service members and veterans. The WST also works to prevent suicide among veterans through our peer mentoring program. In addition, we help bring light to the recovery process with our dinners for recovering warriors and their families at military medical centers on both coasts.

"Thank You" Letters From Marines:

Letter dated August 27, 2009:

To all the wonderful people at MarineParents.com, thank you for your care packages and support. The packages have tons of great items. It really raises the morale of the Marines when we get your packages. It's patriots like yourselves that keep our country the best in the world. Thank you again for support and packages.

God Bless and Semper Fi,

Corporal…

Email received August 27, 2009:

Thank you for the care package. I received it on 26 Aug and was pleasantly surprised. I have the honor of supervising a group of Marines here in Afghanistan, and we all share whatever goodies and treats come to us. My Marines work long hours, so the treats, snacks, drink mixes, and especially the cigars help keep morale up. We greatly appreciate the time and thought put into the care packages you send. Thank you for your kindness and generosity.

Gunnery Sergeant…

Email received January 12, 2009:

I just recieved your package today. Thank you very much. I put a couple of pictures me and my friends on here. My name is CPL ... and I am deployed to Iraq. I would like you to send a package to one of my Marines. He does not get a lot of mail here. His name and address is at the bottom. Could put a message on there for me? "This one is from the family brother." It's short notice but He could use a care package. He loves Twizzlers. Thank you.

Corporal…

Frequently Asked Questions

What Happens to My Ongoing Donation?

All donors will be notified about the closure of the Care Package Project (CPP). For those of you who have donated funds to the CPP over the years and would like to continue assisting our men and women in uniform, we encourage you to switch your donation recipient from the Care Package Project to the Warrior Support Team (WST). Like the CPP, the WST directly benefits service members by addressing some of the most difficult, yet unacknowledged, challenges that our veterans face in Post-traumatic stress and reintegration into civilian society. We hope that our donors will continue their contributions once the men and women they've supported overseas finally come home.

What happened to the Donation I made After the Final Pack Day on July 18th?

Any contributions that you have made subsequent to July 18, 2015, our last official mailing of care packages, will still be used in conjunction with the Care Package Project. We have an unofficial pack day planned, where volunteers will pack non-perishable items into care packages that will be stocked in our warehouse. When we receive an address of a service member overseas in need of a care package, we will send that service member a package immediately.

How Can I support the Troops Now?

With a shift in the war and as our combat troops come home, there is a similar shift in the types of care packages they find helpful and necessary. Our care packages are taking a different shape, but the outcome of our work stays the same: we help troops and veterans and their families cope with the challenges of war. The Warrior Support Team, like the Care Package Project, directly benefits service members, but it goes beyond. We work to prevent suicide in veterans with our peer mentoring program and help bring light to recovery with our dinners. For more information go to www.WarriorSupportTeam.com.

I Am a Member of TMP and Choose to Support the Care Package Project. Where Will My Fundraising Go Now?

Any donations that have been received for the Care Package Project will be used to send care packages. We will continue to send care packages as they are requested. Non-perishable items that we have accumulated through various donors will be packaged on unofficial pack days and stocked in our warehouse until they are requested.

I Very Much Want to Help Send Care Packages to Troops Overseas. Are There Any Programs That You Recommend I Support?

Gold Star Mom Bobbie Palmisano has been sending care packages to troops since her son, Eric, was KIA in April of 2006. The Palmisano Care Package Project is a 501(c)(3) Non Profit Charitable Corporation.

Past Pack Days

Additional Information

If you have the address of a service member currently deployed to a combat-zone overseas to whom you'd like us to send a care package, please email us at cpp@marineparents.com.We will be sending packages, as needed, with our remaining supplies, throughout the rest of 2015.

ABOUT US

MarineParents.com, Inc., was founded nationally on January 21, 2003 to provide support, information, and services to Marines and their family members, and create opportunities for the public to support our troops through the organization's outreach programs. In over 16 years of service, Marine Parents has made a huge impact in support of Marines, military personnel, and their family members.

For those with a loved one in military service, you are not alone. You've found Marine Parents, a Place to Connect & Share®. We've been supporting Marines and their family members across the nation for more than 16 years.

Whether you need our support or you'd like to support others, you'll find what you're looking for with our outreach programs. Together, we support the troops and their family members. Hover over an icon to learn more; click an icon to go to the website.

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MarineParents.com, Inc., an IRS-approved 501(c)(3) public charity eligible to receive tax deductible donations, was founded on January 21, 2003 to provide support, information, and services to Marines and their family members, and create opportunities for the public to support our troops through the organization's outreach programs.